Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I think this is my first post here. It's my first spider. I recently bought a juvvie Red-Kneed. I have him on a substrate of topsoil bought at a nursery. It looks like it has additives, which might be the problem. The tank gets a strong fungal smell. I can't avoid that because I have to keep a damp substrate. The seller told me that room temperature is good, but it fluctuates between 65 and 85F. The spider spends it's time trying to escape. I leave a wet sponge in there for the crickets to drink from, so they don't attack the spider. I keep about four crickets at a time in the tank. The lid is solid and tight-fitting. It's in a ten-gallon tank. Any comments or suggestions?

Roger

...a maximum? Is there a minimum and maximum temperature that this species feel comfortable in? Do they need a basking spot? Do they need UVB? How damp should the soil be?

Thank you for your help.

Roger

room temp. should be good. i have UTH under my giant white knees 10 gal enclosure, but being a juve, it is prob not needed. you could prob go a little bit smaller too. i would start over with the soil. get spagnum peat moss or coconut husk for substrate. i use spag. peat moss and it works really well for all my T's. the substrate should allow it to burrow if it so chooses, plus it should be fairly deep so if it were to fall from the top of the cage it wouldnt injure itself. i fill my enclosures more than half way with substrate. hope this rambling helps.

no artificial light is needed. it may actually stress the T out. if you wanted to raise the temp a little, i would use a 25W red, blue or black light as they are unable to detect the colors.

>>no artificial light is needed. it may actually stress the T out. if you wanted to raise the temp a little, i would use a 25W red, blue or black light as they are unable to detect the colors.

They can still see the light, it's just not as bright to them as white light. Black light is harmful to them as the Ultraviolet rays can damage thier eyes and make them completely blind over time.
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KJ Vezino
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Now that I've discoursed with you-all, I know that if I ever think my T. needs more heat, I'd use a Ceramic Heat Emitter, on a really good thermostat (a Spyder Robotics Herpstat). Cheap thermostats fail and kill animals. But here near the Pacific ocean, I think the indoor temperature will hardly ever, if ever, go out of bounds, if 65F to 85 F is OK.

clffdvr

I would advise against a ceramic heat emitter, that could be harmful for the T. If you needed additional heat, use a heat mat affixed the the back of the enclosure.
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KJ Vezino
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Do you mean a smaller tank? Thanks for the tip about Sphagnum Moss. I'll put a lot of it in there.

I'm completely new to insects and the way he's behaving, it's like he can't stand his environment. He has damp dirt substrate, not too damp, with a solid top to keep in the humidity. He climbs the glass and hangs out at the corner of the wall and lid.

Should he have a screen top?

Roger

>>Should he have a screen top?
>>
>>Roger

Yes, it needs a screen top. And it is is less than 3" then I really reccomend getting a tank much smaller than a 10 gallon.
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KJ Vezino
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...two-gallon tank be better? Five-gallon?

BTW he actually *is* easy to handle. I made him get on my hand to move him while I changed the substrate, and he didn't resist much, and didn't bite (whew!!). It was a bit hard to make myself do that, it was a first for me. At least I know his threat-posture, which he doesn't seem to use.

Clffdvr

The 10 is probably OK, since you already have it, I wouldn't go out and spent more money at this point. I was thinking it was a little smaller than that initially.
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KJ Vezino
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>>I'm completely new to insects and the way he's behaving, ...

Tarantulas are NOT insects! They're members of a completely independent, collateral group of animals, the Arachnida. If I'm not mistaken, arachnids predate insects by 50 or 100 million years.
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Please send all E-mail postings directly to schultz@ucalgary.ca

May all the holes in your path hold large hairy spiders!

Stan Schultz
Marguerite J. Schultz
Co-authors, the TARANTULA KEEPER'S GUIDE

Hi Roger,

Welcome back, glad you got your first T. Brachypelma smithi (Mexican redknee) is a great choice for a first pet.

I'm curious if a pet store told you to keep your pet like this, because so much of what you've said is not optimal.

I'll try to address everything you've said so you can get it comfy. The fact that it is trying to escape says that is doesn't like it. First of all the substrate needs to be dry, bone dry. The B. smithi doesn't need high humidity, it is a desert species. As long as you provide a waterdish and occasionally overflow it (letting it dry completely in between) then it'll do just fine. Top soil is also not optimal. When it dries, it'll become hard as clay. 100% peat moss would be better, and what I like to do is mix 25% potting soil with 75% peat moss. Ensure that whatever you use, it has no chemicals in it whatsoever. That should also get rid of the fungal smell, topsoil is full of stuff that'll mold and such.

Room temperature is ideal, but anything in between 65-95 is fine.

Remove the sponge ASAP. It is unhealthy and will do nothing but breed bacteria and it'll start to smell, and you can never get it clean. Your tarantula should have a clean waterdish. To keep crickets from drowning, you should either put a piece of slate in it to make a ramp, or put some stones in it to give them something to grab onto so that they might jump out. You should also remove any uneaten crickets after 24 hours. If it eats right when you put them in, then you can remove uneaten ones an hour or two later. But some Ts choose to eat at night only. Keeping additional crickets in the cage can stress the spider out and if the T happens to molt, they could kill it. Feed it a good meal once or twice a week and it'll do just fine.

How big is the spider? 10 gallons is pretty big for a juvie. I wouldn't keep anything in a 10 gallon unitl it was at least 3-4". Until then a delicup or small kritter keeper is better. This also makes it easier for the T to find it's food.

Thinking about it being a juvie, if it is under 2" then it doesn't need a waterdish, instead just keep a corner of the cage moist, but not damp. Still let it dry inbetween.

Tarantulas do not generally like light. They'd be happier if you had no light on the cage. UVA/UVB is not required and no temperature gradients or basking spots are needed.

I'd highly recommend getting "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" by Stanley A. Schultz. It is the tarantula keeping "bible".

In the mean time, read the author's G. rosea care sheet here:
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html
The care requirements for the two species are nearly identical, so you should still learn a lot from it.

Fire away if you have any more questions.
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KJ Vezino
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The seller, a store employee, told me to keep it on damp ground. I'm much happier with a creature that tolerates dry substrate.

Roger

i think your problem is the "damp" substrate. I have five red knees and three being slings and the first one raised from a sling......>I have never kept them damp. They have a water dish, I use the top of a milk or water jug......>I keep it full but that is it for humidity. They molt well and grow fast.

Nina